It's Time You Start Pairing Your Fresh Corn With Fruit

Sweet, tender, and juicy — a simple corn on the cob is one of the most satisfying side dishes of all. Beyond serving as a savory side, corn also does well as a delicious, buttery topping for salads, and can even be thrown on the grill with some smoky paprika and cheese for Cotija Mexican Corn. It's certainly a versatile vegetable, but you can actually combine it with even more than you think. Here's why.

Contrary to popular belief, corn is actually not just a vegetable, but also a fruit (and that's not all! But more on that later).Because it comes from a flowering plant, corn is, botanically speaking, classified as a fruit. Scientific definitions aside, corn also lends a subtle sweetness that makes it comparable to other fruits. Because of this, one lesser-known but equally satisfying pairing you should try with your corn is other types of fruit.

If this revelation is blowing your mind, you're not alone. But now that you know more about the true identity of corn, it's time you start pairing the fresh pick with other fruit to bring out its best qualities. Here are a few suggestions to start.

While corn is technically a fruit, that doesn't mean that every variety of fruit will pair well with it. To know what will be compatible, we have to dig into corn's own unique flavors first. Sweet corn has a lot of moisture in it, and delicious natural sugars, too. This means corn can lend a very fresh taste that matches the refreshing flavors of other fruits. For that reason, corn will go especially well with fruits like blueberries. The soft floral notes of these berries provide a nice contrast to the subtle crunch of corn. This combo would fare well in a summery salad topped with a nice vinaigrette dressing. 

Lime is also a good pairing with corn, giving a splash of citrus to the milky sweet flavors of the fruit. These two picks would combine well in fresh mixtures like salsa. You can even squeeze some lime juice on grilled corn with butter to help elevate the flavors. Other fruits that pair well with corn include stone fruits like peaches and nectarines, which can be combined with a soft cheese and a drizzle of honey on toast for a simple, yet tasty hors d'oeuvre.

Whether you want to build your own fruit salad or think up some complimentary side dishes for a picnic, mixing together different types of fruit with corn is a good place to start.

Since corn is such a widely consumed food product, it might shock many to find out it can be classified as both a fruit and a vegetable. But did you know that corn also qualifies as a grain, as well? The actual classification of corn depends on when it is harvested, but generally speaking, corn is usually all three of these things. 

A vegetable is a general term that applies to any part of a plant that is edible,while a fruit is something that a plant produces that contains seeds. Corn comes from the plant Zea mays and its kernels are made up of seeds. When these seeds are left to mature on the stalk and harvested later (for things like popcorn), they qualify as grains. Thus, corn can simultaneously be called a fruit, vegetable, and grain. 

While corn is pretty complicated, it's precisely that complex makeup that makes it pair unexpectedly well with many other types of fruit, vegetables, and even grains, too. No matter its proper definition, corn can easily be accompanied by all of its siblings, so get creative in the kitchen and try something new.